Wagon-reach coupling



A. HBIKBS. -Wagon-Reaoh Coupling.

No. 224,531. Patented Feb. 17, i880.

| Illl I l I IIIIH NMH I@ WITNBSSBS I INVENTOR l u. Pains c.

UNITED i STATES PATENT EETCE.

ALBERT HEIKES, OF YORK SULPHUR SPRINGS, PENNSYLVANIA.

WAGON-REACH COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,531, dated February 17, 1880.

Application filed July 1, 187i).

To all whom it may concern Be it known `that I, ALBERT HEHCEs, of York Sulphur Springs, in the county of Adams and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Wagon-Reach Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to relieve the reach-stays and kingbolt, 85e., from strain, uneven wear, and breakage when the wagon encounters obstructions.

It consists in making the reach in two parts, and then swiveling these two parts together, so that the two pairs of wheels can lift up on one side or the other without straining the reach or communicating parts.

This object has, in a measure, been before attained by entirely or substantially different -mechanism-as, for instance, a slotted or headed bolt has been held between plates, the plates being screwed to a severed reach, and one end of said bolt being held rigid with one of the ends of the reach, while the other end is provided with a head, as shown in Patent No.132,320, of 1872; but such construction is cumbersome and expensive, not easily applied to ordinary reaches now in use, and the hole through the swivelbolt weakens said bolt alarmingly; also, a headed nutted bolt has been used, which passes from forward of the front axle to the rear of the fifth-wheel, and leather washers intervene. The bolt passes through a portion of the reach, a double socket is used,1and unreliable leather packings employed. cated and dangerous.

A rigid swivel-bolt has also been used heretofore, which works in a socket in an after reach 5 but such construction is expensive and impractical. t

This invention is designed as an improvement upon all such constructions, the primary object being to so constrjuct it that a farmer or a laborer of ordinary'skill may sever the reach and apply my invention to any wagon now 1n use.

To this end I provide a swivel-coupling in two pieces, `the only other necessary connecting parts being four' bolts and-a nut. The

t coupling-pieces are Vpreferably cast each with clamping-jaws. The rear portion is composed A device thus constructed is compli-4 of perforated clamping-jaws, is provided with an abutting head and with a rod-extension having a threaded end. male portion is composed of the perforated socket and a tubular portion which receives the rod-extension. Each of these parts is bolted to its respective reach, as shown.

To apply my invention to any wagon-reach now in use it is only necessary to saw and bore the reach properly; apply the rear portion and secure it 5 place the forward portion in position and apply the uut, being careful to leave proper play near the abutting head; lastly, secure, by the bolts, the forward por- 1 tion to the reach, and the device is complete.

' It will be observed that this construction is new, useful, and ingenious.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan ofthe running-gear of a wagon provided with my improved swiveled reach, which is shown in section; and Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the wheels; B,the axles; C, the bolsters,supported on the springs a and D, the brace or stay connecting the reach with the front axle and kingbolt. E is the back part ofthe reach, connected rigidly with the rear axle. E is the front part of the same, joined to the T-bar to which a part of the fifth-wheel is connected. The two parts of the coupling or reach are joined together by a swivel composed of a pivot projecting from the rear reach and a sleeve, c', on the front reach, the two being joined together so as to permit one to turn freely on the other as an axis. By this arrangement, when the wheels run over an obstruction they will turn up freely one pair entirely independent of the 4other and the connections with that pair, so that they are entirely relieved of strain, whereby the stays are not strained, and the T-bar, the fifth-wheel, and kingbolt are relieved from much of the strain to which they are subjected in the ordinary connection Where the reach is rigidly connected.

H represents the rear portion of the coupling, having clamping-jaws habutting head h', rod-extension h2, threaded at h3, as shown.

The forward or fe-.

IOO

I represent-s the forward portion of the Coupling; i, the main socket, and F the tubular extension. The rod h2 passes through the tube F, and :t nut, x, forces the parts together un- 5 ril the tube-socket nearly ilnpinges upon the abutting head h'.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire t0 secure by Letters Patent- The reach-coupling herein described, composed of the portion H, having clamping-jaws 1o h, abutting head h', rod-extension h2 h3, and the portion I, having socket t' and tubular extension F, in combination with the reaich E E, nut x, and securing-bolts, as speeied.

ALBERT HEIKES. Witnesses:

L. W. HEIKES, J OHN W. DAY. 

